Increased Posterior Insula-Sensorimotor Connectivity Is Associated with Cognitive Function in Healthy Participants with Sleep Complaints.

Insomnia is characterized by sensory hypersensitivity and cognitive impairments. Recent work has identified the insula as a central brain region involved in both bottom-up gating of sensory information and top-down cognitive control. However, the specific relationships between insular subregion connectivity and emotional and cognitive functions remain unclear. In this study, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 25 healthy participants with sleep complaints (HPS) and 25 age-, gender- and educational level-matched healthy participants without insomnia complaints (HP). We performed insular subregion (ventral anterior, dorsal anterior and posterior) functional connectivity (FC) analyses, and cognitive function was measured with several validated test procedures (e.g., the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test [WCST], Continuous Performance Test [CPT] and Trail making Test [TMT]). There were no significant differences between the two groups for WCST, CPT and TMT scores. The HPS group showed enhanced connectivity from the right posterior insula (R-PI) to the left postcentral gyrus (L-postCG) compared to HP group. WCST random errors (RE), sleep disturbance scores and HAMA scores correlated with this connectivity measurement in both HP and HPS groups. Our results provide direct evidence that the posterior insula (PI) synchronizes with sensorimotor areas to detect homeostatic changes and suggest that alteration of the latter is related to executive dysfunction in subjects with insomnia.

Efficacy and safety of the Chaihuguizhiganjiang-suanzaoren granule on primary insomnia: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Insomnia is a highly prevalent, often debilitating and economically burdensome sleep disorder with limited effective therapies. Few data are available to understand which of the therapeutic alternatives is the most effective for patients with insomnia, especially for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Chinese herbal medicine, as a typical TCM, is one of the most popular complementary and alternative therapies for insomnia. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Chaihuguizhiganjiang-suanzaoren granule (CSG), a Chinese herbal medicine treatment, in patients with primary insomnia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a multicentre, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomised controlled clinical trial. A total of 258 participants are randomly allocated to two groups: the intervention group or the placebo group. The intervention group receives CSG and the placebo group receives a placebo granule. The patients receive either CSG or placebo two times daily for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Secondary outcomes include the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Total Sleep Time (TST) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The assessment is performed at baseline (before randomisation), 4, 8 and 12 weeks after randomisation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol has been approved by the Research Ethical Committee of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University (reference: 2014BL-003-01). The trial will be helpful in identifying the efficacy and safety of CSG in patients with primary insomnia. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN22001145; Pre-results.

[Protective effects of Xuebijing injection on kidney in rats with sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine Xuebijing injection on the kidney in rats with sepsis. METHODS: Sepsis model was reproduced in rats with cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Eighty healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, sham-operation group, CLP model group, and Xuebijing group. The two latter groups were divided into four groups of 2, 8, 24, 48-hour subgroups with 8 rats in each subgroup. Serum levels of creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Na(+), K(+) were measured. beta (2)-microglobulin (beta (2)-MG) was determined by radioimmunoassay, urine level of Cr, Na(+), interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in renal tissue, and fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) were determined by enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). Light microscopy was used to assess the pathological changes in kidney. RESULTS: Compared with CLP model group,the level of beta (2)-MG was significantly decreased at 2 hours in Xuebijing group (P<0.01). Similarly, serum BUN content, renal IL-6 level were lowered at 8 hours, and serum contents of BUN as well as Cr were also decreased in Xuebijing group than those in model group at 48 hours after CLP (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Xuebijing injection possesses the protective effects on the kidney in rats with sepsis, which may be related with the synthesis and release of IL-6.